Radius gauge for automobiles



9 H. WOCHNER 2,125,534

I RADIUS GAUGE FOR AUTOMOBILES Original Filed Feb. 6, 1936 3Sheets-Sheet l FIE '1 .llll

M ATTORNEY.

Al'ig. 2, 1938. H. WOCHNER RADIUS GAUGE FOR AUTOMOBILES Original FiledFeb. e, 1956 3 Sheets-She et 2 FIE-'4 INVENTOR.

M ATTORNEY.

95' W BY Aug. 2, 1938. H. WOCHNER RADIUS G'AUGE FOR AUTOMOBILES OriginalFiled Feb. e, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIE-El 'INVENTOR.

AM: ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 2, 1938 PATENT OFFICE RADIUS GAUGE FORAUTOMOBILES Henry Wochner, Rock Island, 111., assignor to BearManufacturing Company, Rock Island, 111.,

a corperation Application February 6, 1936, Serial No. 62,666 RenewedNovember 24, 1937 4 Claims.

My invention has reference to a radius gauge for automobiles, of thattype for which application for Letters Patent of the United States wasfiled by myself July 9, 1934, Serial No. 734,357. The chief functionthereof is to support one of the front wheels of an automobile so thatit will respond readily to the turning impulse of the steeringapparatus, and make it possible to detect inaccuracies in the turningradius, and indicate how the same may be corrected.

It has been the practice to provide instruments of the kind mentioned induplicate form, for simultaneous use for both of the front wheels of avehicle, with connections between the units to establish their relativepositions, and the present invention can have such dual construction, ifdesired. In the present showing, however, it is limited to a singlegauge, of a form which can be used on the floor of a garage, in the pathof a wheel that is to be tested.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a support for thetread of a wheel capable of a rotatable movement on its axis, so as torespond quickly to the impulse of the wheel supported thereon, in theturning operation.

Another purpose thereof is to provide asupport for the wheel which iscapable of movement in any direction in a horizontal plane, in additionto said rotary movement, so as to respond quickly to any eccentrictendencies of the wheel.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide an anchorage for thesupporting disk for the wheel of a floating character, which willinstantly follow any tendencies of the supporting member toward movementin a horizontal plane.

Another feature thereof consists in the provision of means fordetermining the degree of movement of the wheel in either direction, andthe amount of inaccuracy thereof, if any. This con-' sists of a compoundsystem of braces, holding the wheel supporting parts from casualrelease, and at the same time yielding freely to any inclinations ofmovement of said parts in response to the action of a wheel.

The above-named, and other features and advantages of the invention willbe more fully set forth in the following specification, reference Ibeing had to the accompanying drawings, in

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with the plate i8 and anti-frictionapparatus removed.

Fig. 5 is a similar view with the plates shown in broken lines and thedisk controlling means in full lines, with the axial point shifted tothe left and downwardly.

Fig. 6 is. a similar diagrammatical view, with the axial point to theleft and above the center.

Fig. 7 is another view illustrating further the possibilities ofmovements of the plate 24 to the right of the center.

The main support of the invention consists of a base-plate iii, abovewhich is supported a plate 5 l, with end inclines I2 extendingdownwardly to a connection with the plate ID at I3, which inclinesprovide runways for the wheels of an automobile passing onto or off fromthe device.

Supported on posts M beneath the plate H is a plate Hi, all of saidplates being of rectangular form, and preferably made of sheet metal.The plate l l is provided with a central opening l5, and operable on theplate [4 within said opening is an anti-friction apparatus consisting ofa circular plate l6, containing pockets for bearing balls l1. Supportedon said balls is a circular tread-plate or disk 58, at a central pointof which is fixed the upper end of a pivot pin l9, which has a limitedamount of lateral play in an opening 20 in the plate It. The plate I6 isheld yieldably in place by radial springs 2|, connecting the same with acollar 22 loosely encircling the pivot I9. This part of the mechanism isnot considered to be new in the present application.

The lower end of the pin l9 passes through an opening in an anchor plate24, and is provided with a head at its lower extremity, upon which theplate 24 rests. The diameter of said plate is greater than that of theopening 20, and prevents accidental release of the plate 18. The pin l9also turns freely in the plate 24, whereby the plate 18 is capable ofrotation independently of the plate 2 Pivoted to the plate is a pair ofspaced arms 25, the other ends of which have a pivotal connection withthe ends of a diamond-shaped plate 26, the arrangement being such thatthe arms are at all times in parallel relation with each other. Anotherpair of arms 21 is pivoted at the sides of the plate 26, the other endsof said arms having pivotal connections with the lower face of the plate14, said latter arms also being in parallel relation with each other,and at right angles with the arms 25. The plate 26 is thereby supportedso as to have a floating action, and respond quickly to the action ofthe pivot pin l9, impelled by the plate i8.

By means of the parallel arm mechanism above described, a universalmovement in a horizontal plane is accorded the plate 24, variouspositions of said apparatus in following the movements of said platebeing shown in Figs, 4 to 7, inclusive. In Fig. 4 the axis I9 is in anormally central position, with the arms 25 transversely of the frameplates, and the arms 27 length-wise thereof. In Fig. 5 the axis is belowand at the left of the center, indicated at x, and in. Figs. 6 and 7other shifted positions of the plate 24 are shown, some of which tend toincrease the angles of the arms 25 and 21, and others of which tend tomake them more acute. One edge of the plate 24 is cut away to preventcontact thereof by the plate 26.

Integral with the plate 24, and projected radially from one edge thereofis an arm 28, provided at its outer end with a bend 25, extending overthe edge of the disk l8, and provided at its end with a pointer 30, foruse with a gauge 3! on the face of said disk. The scale markings extendin both directions from a central or zero point, to indicate the degreeof turn of the disk and wheel to be supported thereon in one directionor the other. When the reading shows that there is a deviation in theangle from what is considered to be a normal amount, corrections can bemade in the steering mechanism to overcome same.

The end of the loop 29 is provided with a perforation 32, registeringnormally with similar openings in an extension 33 on the edge of theplate l8 and in the plates I l and I4 below the same, and not shown inthe drawings. By the insertion of a pin in said openings the plate l8and arm 28 can be held from movement, while a wheel is being supportedon said plate. This is not a novel expedient.

It will be noted that by reason of the common connection of the plate [8and arm 28 with the pin IS the relative positions of the plate and armWill be unchanged in any movement of the plate in a horizontal plane,and a reading of the scale 3| can be had in any position the plate mayassume. 1

In operation, a wheel is run upon the apparatus longitudinally thereof,with the disk l8 held from rotation. The disk is then freed, and thesteering gear of the vehicle operated to turn the disk and wheel in onedirection or the other. If there is a tendency of the wheel to move toone side or the other to give an impulse to the disk other than torotate the same, this is instantly followed by the movement of the diskin a horizontal plane, in addition to the rotary movement thereof, anyresistance to such movement being reduced to a minimum by the ballbearing devices and by the floating anchorage for said disk. Upon thewheel being returned to its original position the disk [8 is replaced inits central position by the force of the wheel, and with the as- 7sistance of the springs 2|. As before stated, the degree of angularmovement of the wheel is readable on the gauge 3!. The instrument ispreferably set with said gauge on the outer side of the vehicle, wherethe markings can be easily seen. In case two of the devices are used,they are set with both of the gauges outwardly. In case a reading of twowheels is taken on the sameinstrument, after one thereof has beenoperated and tested, the position of the instrument can be reversed, soas to have the gauge on the outside in each case.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A device 'of the class described, comprising a base, a wheelsupporting disk mounted thereon for rotation, an anchor-plate for saiddisk in said base, and a compound leverage between said anchor-plate andbase comprising two pairs of arms and connections between one of saidpairs and the other pair, with a substantially rightangle disposition ofone pair to the other, whereby said anchor-plate and disk are capable ofa free movement in a horizontal plane. 2. A device of the classdescribed, comprising a base, a wheel supporting disk mounted thereon torotate, an anchor-plate in said base operatively connected with saiddisk, a ball-bearing mechanism between said base and disk, and acompound leverage connecting said anchor-plate with said base comprisinga central connection and connections between said central connection andsaid anchor-plate in one direction, and. with said base in anotherdirection, whereby said anchor-plate and disk are capable of movement inany direction in a horizontal plane.

3. In a device of the class described, a base, a disk supported on saidbase provided with a central pivot for rotation, an anchor-plate forsaid pivot, a leverage system connecting said anchor-plate with the basecomprising pairs of arms having pivotal central connections, andpivotally connected in opposite directions, respectively, with saidanchor-plate and said base, whereby said anchor-plate is capable ofmoving freely in a horizontal plane, an indicator operatively connectedwith said anchor-plate, and a gauge on said disk for operation'with saidindicater, to show the degree of rotation of said disk.

4. In a device of the class described, a base formed of vspaced plates,a wheel supporting disk mounted thereon, a. ball-bearing mechanismbetween said disk and its support, an anchor-plate connected with saiddisk, a coupling plate having a swingable connection with one of theplates of said base, and swingable connections between said couplingplate and anchor-plate, whereby said anchor-plate is movable freely in ahorizontal plane.

7 HENRY WOCHNER.

